Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools is situated on Treaty 6 territory—traditional territories of First Nations including Cree, Dene, Nakota, Lakota, Dakota and Saulteaux—and homeland of the Métis Nation.

Officially named St. Paul's Roman Catholic Separate School Division No.20, our story began with three teachers and 69 students gathered for classes in St. Paul's Church basement (now St. Paul's Co-Cathedral) in 1911. Now we are Saskatchewan's largest Catholic School Division with over 20,000 students and over 2,000 employees in 50 schools (43 elementary and seven high school) serving Saskatoon, Martensville, Warman, Humboldt and Biggar.

Early Years

• School openings:
  • St. Mary 1913
  • St. Paul 1926 (opened in 1911 and was located in several different buildings) 
  • St. Joseph 1928 (opened in 1920 in a different building)
• Father H. L. Vachon, Oblates of Mary Immaculate is credited as the driving force behind the establishment of Catholic schools in Saskatoon.  In 1911, he used his personal funds to provide supplies for the division’s first school.  Father Vachon School honours his leadership.
• On June 21, 1911 St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Separate School District No. 20 became an official entity.
• On September 5, 1911, 69 students enrolled in the first school, housed in the basement of St. Paul’s Church.  Sr. M. St. Solange was the first principal of the school;  Sisters of the Presentation of Mary were the first teachers.
• The first chairman of the Board of Education was Bernard Macdonald.  St. Bernard is dedicated to Mr. Macdonald.
• The Sisters of Sion arrived in 1917 and provided the longest continuous service to our school division.
• In 1922 the Ladies of Loretto joined the staff at St. Mary School.  They lived in the third-floor residence of the school.  In later years, this residence was home for the school’s caretaker and his family.
• Between 1914 and 1964, 1800 students graduated from St. Mary School.
• Edward Daniel Feehan was principal of St. Mary School and later served as Superintendent of Schools from 1929 to 1956.  Today, both E. D. Feehan High School and St. Edward School are dedicated to Edward Daniel Feehan.
• The dedication of many religious communities was instrumental in establishing a tradition of excellence in Catholic education and faith formation.  This tradition continues today in our school division.  In the early years, the Sisters taught for little or no pay.  Until the 1960s they were paid less than lay teachers.
• In 1939, Emmett Hall was elected to Saskatoon’s Catholic school board and remained a board member for 19 years.  In 1982, the musical Ave paid tribute to the efforts of Hall, Michael Geary and others who prevented the foreclosure of St. Mary School, and possibly the demise of Catholic education, during the Depression.

https://www.gscs.ca/